H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Perpetual Calendar, Platinum

Reviving the Moser Name 

H. Moser & Cie has long-established roots within the words of horology, with the manufacture being originally founded in 1828 in St. Petersburg, Russia. During this period, Heinrich Moser’s clients included Russian princes, as well as members of the Russian Imperial Court. Many years later, in 2005, a German engineer by the name of Dr. Jürgen Lange resuscitated the Moser name, with Heinrich Moser's great-grandson involved in the project. 

Since then, H. Moser & Cie has created watches which combine classic styling with a number of innovative features. From refined movement mechanics to unusual dial treatment techniques, their timepieces have become visually distinctive and recognisable. In his aim of developing forward-thinking watchmaking, Lange collaborated with a range of independent watchmakers, including Andreas Strehler, Rolf Lang or Jörg Spöring.

Whilst some manufactures often shy away from the topic of collaboration, Lange actively promoted and publicised it, seeing it as a strength for his young brand. The watchmakers involved in the project were also invited to the launch event, and were actively encouraged to discuss their contribution and involvement.

Rethinking the perpetual calendar

When the Moser name was revived in 2005, three models were announced, of which the Endeavour Perpetual Calendar was the most technically impressive. Whilst perpetual calendars are usually quite visually rich, on account of the amount of information which needs to be displayed, the Endeavour Perpetual Calendar reduces the complication to its most essential form.

The movement was developed by Andreas Strehler, with both simplicity and usability in mind. Though not recognised as widely as he deserves, Strehler is an accomplished watchmaker, who is a member of the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants. He was the first every employee of famed complications manufacturer Renaud et Papi, and acted as their Head of Prototype Development for four years, prior to setting-out on his own.

The date is displayed through an aperture on the dial, with a short hand, below the hours and minutes, pointing to one of the 12 hour markers to indicate the month. Upon its release, it was the first watch in the world to be fitted with a "flash" calendar, a patented mechanism which allows the date to jump immediately to the first of the next month, regardless of any given month's length. Designed to be as simple to use as possible, the Endeavour Perpetual Calendar can also be set forwards and backwards, at any time, without damaging the movement. 

A classic design

This piece represents one of the earliest incarnations of the Endeavour Perpetual Calendar design, combining a platinum case and a pared-back grey dial. Observed in different lighting conditions, the subtle sunburst pattern creates a mixture of tones and effects, depending on the viewing angle. The dial is unadorned, with a subsidiary seconds display at 6 o'clock and a power reserve indicator at 9 o'clock. The date window features a grey background, with white text, blending into the rest of the design. The "H. Moser & Cie." signature is applied in a cursive font, which imbues this piece with a certain backward-looking aesthetic. 

The case, measuring 40.8mm in diameter, is made out of platinum. Always seeking to combine classic and more forward-thinking design, the nod to the past is largely achieved through the round, bevel-free shape of the case. Polished throughout, it elegantly complements the hands and hour indexes, as well as the tones of the dial. The back crystal is gently curved, allowing the watch to hug the wrist.  

The Movement 

The in-house Caliber HMC 341 movement is a large, 15 ligne movement that beats at 18,000 vibrations per hour. The double-barrel construction allows for a seven day power reserve, which is impressive for a manually-wound perpetual calendar. It also features hacking seconds for accurate time-setting - a double pull crown allows the watch to continually indicate the correct hour, minute and second, without interruption when adjusting the date or additional displays.

Unlike most other calendars, the HMC 341 uses a "flash" calendar feature, automatically changing the date in a fraction of a second on the stroke of midnight. Further to this, it incorporates an interchangeable escapement module, which was developed to simplify the adjustment, cleaning and servicing of the watch. It enables a watchmaker to remove the existing escapement, clean and oil the rest of the movement, before installing a new pre-adjusted module.

The Set

This Endeavour Perpetual Calendar is accompanied by its outer box, inner box, manuals, cleaning cloth, setting pin, hangtag and Guarantee from April 2011. It is also accompanied by one of our grey grained leather straps, a black alligator strap from the manufacture and the corresponding platinum deployant buckle.

Closer look